Not Worth the Trouble

Posted on Nov 20, 2006

News Corp. has canceled the publication of O.J. Simpson’s hypothetical misadventure “If I Did It,” along with its accompanying TV special. After making the announcement, Rupert Murdoch apologized to the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown-Simpson for the “ill-considered project.”

“I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project,” Mr. Murdoch said in a statement. “We are sorry for any pain this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown-Simpson.”

Mr. Simpson was accused of the 1994 stabbing murders of his wife Nicole and her friend Ronald L. Goldman. After a televised trial watched by millions around the world, a jury acquitted Mr. Simpson, who had always maintained his innocence. But in the unorthodox literary project, and the accompanying television special, Mr. Simpson reportedly details how he might have killed Ms. Simpson and Mr. Goldman, if he had killed them.

His book editor, Judith Regan, who also conducted an interview of Mr. Simpson for the television special, has said the book is Mr. Simpson’s confession to the murders of Ms. Simpson and Mr. Goldman. Mr. Simpson has not spoken publicly about the book or the TV special.

The project was met with a hail of criticism, especially as it revived memories of a crime that set off a searing national debate on race, crime and whether the rich get away with murder. A dozen Fox affiliates have already said they would not broadcast the two-part program, which had been scheduled during sweeps month on Nov. 27 and 29 just before publication of the book. It was being published by ReganBooks, a HarperCollins imprint owned, like the Fox network, by the News Corporation.